Getting to the Mulsanne at night
Discussion
I've done it the past 2 years.
First year we headed from the Porsche Curves, past BSJ right up that road to the end. Walked behind a few warehouses, up a dirt track, into some woods and there you were. Easy as pie.
Second year it got slightly harder. The ACO blocked the road from BSJ to Mulsanne half way down, and attempting to casually walk past them pretending to be a lost tourist didn't work and some Frenchie started pushing me around. So we had to walk back a bit, then jump over a hedge at the side of a road, through a field, over a fence into someones garden, onto a road, through a load of woods and fields, and everytime headlights came into view we had to jump to the floor. Then 2 1/2 hours later we ended up in the same place as the last year. It was damn good fun, and you do get rewarded for your efforts.
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i10
After we left we had a night stroll back down the road to BSJ with our smug faces on as we walked back through the ACO blockage.
First year we headed from the Porsche Curves, past BSJ right up that road to the end. Walked behind a few warehouses, up a dirt track, into some woods and there you were. Easy as pie.
Second year it got slightly harder. The ACO blocked the road from BSJ to Mulsanne half way down, and attempting to casually walk past them pretending to be a lost tourist didn't work and some Frenchie started pushing me around. So we had to walk back a bit, then jump over a hedge at the side of a road, through a field, over a fence into someones garden, onto a road, through a load of woods and fields, and everytime headlights came into view we had to jump to the floor. Then 2 1/2 hours later we ended up in the same place as the last year. It was damn good fun, and you do get rewarded for your efforts.
http://s70.photobucket.com/albums/i10
After we left we had a night stroll back down the road to BSJ with our smug faces on as we walked back through the ACO blockage.
Guerilla missions are where it's at!! I have been to Mulsanne ever year but what you need to remember is that whilst you find little tracks to walk up in the woods. Don't use them to get to the track as there will be marshalls at each end. Go into the trees. As for the ACO blockades, commando style through the hedges and fields is the way forward to skirt them and then just walk up the road. Loads of fun and a must for Saturday night!
If you want to drive:
Directions from inside circuit:
Drive past Houx towards Houx Annexe Roundabout - straight across - follow road under track at Tetre Rouge - straight on - turn right at the end - take first right - left at roundabout - right at T junction and right again takes you to Cafe Des Hunadierres. Either watch from the Cafe or make your way across the fields and then to trackside. Caution there's lots of barbed wire, the odd errant bull and try not wear light coloured clothing or use flash photography but you should get right up to the armco.
It's well worth the effort.
Directions from inside circuit:
Drive past Houx towards Houx Annexe Roundabout - straight across - follow road under track at Tetre Rouge - straight on - turn right at the end - take first right - left at roundabout - right at T junction and right again takes you to Cafe Des Hunadierres. Either watch from the Cafe or make your way across the fields and then to trackside. Caution there's lots of barbed wire, the odd errant bull and try not wear light coloured clothing or use flash photography but you should get right up to the armco.
It's well worth the effort.
You boys are inventive! Now getting to Indianapolis is fun too - but then it is a commando type hike and takes some time. However, for the Wednesday and Thursday trials there is a way of getting to the inside of Mulsanne which is so easy peasy and doesn't even take time or raise sweat. Then you can walk through the golf course towards Indianapolis and as long as the marshals don't see you you'll be all right. Don't try going up the Muldoon straight though since there are three marshals posts between the Mulsanne bend and the hump and they are VERY WISE to people trying it on. There is a pro-am golf tournament the Thursday and the ACO trophy the Friday and they all try it so that's why the marshals know.
Did I forget to tell you how? Tough - work it out for yourselves! I don't live here for nothing!
Did I forget to tell you how? Tough - work it out for yourselves! I don't live here for nothing!
lynxd67 said:
You boys are inventive! Now getting to Indianapolis is fun too - but then it is a commando type hike and takes some time. However, for the Wednesday and Thursday trials there is a way of getting to the inside of Mulsanne which is so easy peasy and doesn't even take time or raise sweat. Then you can walk through the golf course towards Indianapolis and as long as the marshals don't see you you'll be all right. Don't try going up the Muldoon straight though since there are three marshals posts between the Mulsanne bend and the hump and they are VERY WISE to people trying it on. There is a pro-am golf tournament the Thursday and the ACO trophy the Friday and they all try it so that's why the marshals know.
Did I forget to tell you how? Tough - work it out for yourselves! I don't live here for nothing!
Did I forget to tell you how? Tough - work it out for yourselves! I don't live here for nothing!
yeh...thanks for that!
SuPaSpArK said:
lynxd67 said:
You boys are inventive! Now getting to Indianapolis is fun too - but then it is a commando type hike and takes some time. However, for the Wednesday and Thursday trials there is a way of getting to the inside of Mulsanne which is so easy peasy and doesn't even take time or raise sweat. Then you can walk through the golf course towards Indianapolis and as long as the marshals don't see you you'll be all right. Don't try going up the Muldoon straight though since there are three marshals posts between the Mulsanne bend and the hump and they are VERY WISE to people trying it on. There is a pro-am golf tournament the Thursday and the ACO trophy the Friday and they all try it so that's why the marshals know.
Did I forget to tell you how? Tough - work it out for yourselves! I don't live here for nothing!
Did I forget to tell you how? Tough - work it out for yourselves! I don't live here for nothing!
yeh...thanks for that!
Glyn read the profile, he's into Fords, probably wants to sting us for a taxi ride in his Mondeo once we get there.
I'd rather do the Mulsanne on the roof of a Range Rover in the middle of the night eh matey?!
jamiebae said:
Why would you want to do this? Is it 'off limits' normally then?
Because nothing quite beats the rush of having LMP1 cars or the Corvettes (splumph!) coming past you at full throttle, in top gear, in almost complete darkness, only 10ft away and separated by barbed-wire fencing and a crash barrier - That's why...
The Mulsanne is normally off-limits during the race with regular marshal patrols, but discrete access doesn't exactly involve Rocket Science from the bottom end of Houx Annexe. My group and I have visited for the last two years, with some simply awesome video footage to provide us with the memories in between. 2005 saw our group utterly astounded as one of the LMP2 cars came to a halt no more that 10m away from us with a terminal breakdown.
Definitely recommended for LM virgins.
When spectating from the official enclosure at Indianapolis it looks like there is a campsite on the inside of the circuit (outside of the bend). Looking on the map it seems there is a road that leads to it but I assume it is closed. Can you just hike through to the road via Beausejour and follow it up to Indianapolis that way?
The access to this road is gained by turning left as you exit from the circuit with the Alain Prost kart circuit on your right and the Technopark on the left. You arrive at a T junction and you are I'm afraid forced to turn right under the Porsche curves. Turning left is impossible without the correct pass. However, I wonder if it is possible, near the bridge, to go offroad on foot across the fields towards the inside of Indianapolis. The actual access to that post, Mulsanne bend, the hump on the Mulsanne, and the second chicane is via a dirt road between Leroy Merlin and the circuit where it is indicated "Stade" on the left coming from Leroy Merlin. Stade is the french for football pitch and you can see the big lights from the road. This small road turns into a dirt track and splits in two, the right hand track leading to Indianapolis and the left to Mulsanne and the chicane. If you are winging it be careful since there are police who patrol, marshals at each junction and so on. Keep to the field is my advice.
I guess I'm not very good at explaining thing. Here is a map of the whole circuit so you can see what I mean. Look on the map for the RD92 which virtually cuts the circuit in two and you'll see the track in red going south to Indianapolis. Incidentally, the camping you see on the inside of Indianapolis is for the marshals only. Don't forget that if it seems to you that there are lot of tents they have the right to invite friends (they get spare tickets for that) and that it takes a whopping 1,400 marshals in total to run the 24 hour race
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